[WW] Seceret societies (cross posted)

[deaconblue3@juno.com]

Apologies for those getting this more than once.

One of the aspects of WW that I liked was the idea behind the Sons of
Solomon (BotR).  But I didn't want them to be the only ones out there. 
After all, how many "secret societies" are out there?  This gives the
whole setting a bit more of a conspiratorial feel, and may not be for
everyone.  depending on your campaign style, a WM may or may not want to
include this aspect.  I do in my campaign, and it works to feed my
players paranoia, and keep them guessing.

IMC, I have introduced the Templars, but not the Sons yet.  I'm currently
running in April 1940, with the PCs in Norway (a combination of Brits,
Canadians, and Poles).  But what other socieities are out there, and
whose side are they on?  

The Templars I have as a splinter group of the Sons.  I figured that they
were founded as a more open, military aspect of the Sons durring the
Crusades.  they then split off, sometime in the late 13th century I
figure, and were defeated by the forces of darkness, who had control of
the French King, Phillip the Fair.  They then of course went underground,
with greatly reduced numbers.  Because of the time period I'm currently
running in, the OSI doesn't exist yet (marshall is only just formulating
the idea), this gives me a chance to get the PCs into an organization
that would allow them to combat the supernatural, as if in teh OSI, and
to be "founding members" of the OSI.  

Right now, I'm using Chaosium's Nephillim source book "Secret Societies"
and GURPS "Illuminatti" as a basis for the various societies IMC.  Has
anyone else done anything along these lines?  Magic and mystical oriented
societies are plenty, and I figure would factor into the whole WW
setting.  Groups like the Illuminati, Templars, Masons, Teutonic Knights,
Knights Hospitaller, the Hashashin (Assassins), Thugees (India), Jesuits,
Mafia, Golden Dawn, The Yakuza, the Bushido societies, cabals in the KMT
(China), Prieurie de Sion, and Rosicrucians could all be involved in some
manner.  Thule (or Thule Bruderschaft) is already in the setting, being
the origination of the official Nazi occult program (ergo Blood Mages).  

I certainly owuldn'tmind seeing a source book along these lines
(shameless plug).  It would only have to be as large as Dead from Above
to cover evryone nicely.  Or, it could be expanded to include other
settings, such as Dealands, or the new Savage Worlds when it comes out. 
Not stats are needed, as it would be almost purely information and
structures, as well as aims and goals.  Anyone else like to see soemting
like this?

Josh R

"No matter where you go, there you are."  B.Bonzai